Countering cigarette tax charges

Is it irresponsible to fund kids' healthcare through a tobacco tax? That claim was made in a letter from D.C. tax hawk Grover Norquist to Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch. Norquist claimed the smokes tax is a diminishing source of revenue. "It's a very stable source of revenue," says Maureen Busalacchi with SmokeFree Wisconsin , who also suggests Norquist is also blowing smoke with arguments that a cigarette tax hike will hurt small businesses. Smokers, she says, keep spending money locally after they quit the habit.

Norquist, who heads Americans for Tax Reform , sent the letter to Huebsch after reports that the Speaker might be willing to compromise on the tax on smokers, as part of the state budget.